


Stuck With You

by akaashigiri



Series: First Kisses (and how they happened) [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Short & Sweet, the cliche trope of getting stuck in a closet together, unknown mutual pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29079951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaashigiri/pseuds/akaashigiri
Summary: Despite the many many thoughts mixing together in a confusing mixture within Akaashi’s mind, he’s able to compose himself to speak.“Thank you, Bokuto-san.”Bokuto’s grin stretches wider. “Anything for you!”
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Series: First Kisses (and how they happened) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2133534
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	Stuck With You

**Author's Note:**

> tldr; Bokuto and Akaashi accidentally lock themselves in the storage closet of the third gym during the Tokyo Training Camp.

Although his high school days could be categorized as a flavor close to bland, the Tokyo Training Camp is one of the few events that Akaashi looks forward to. He knows that Fukurodani would enter the Spring tournament without a doubt and he finds it an opportunity to be able to practice against their rival team, Nekoma.

And like the summer breeze, the week of the camp is almost at its end. They’re all set to go their separate ways in about forty eight hours. The first three days passed like a ritual for Akaashi, with him tossing to Bokuto as usual and getting said spiker out of his emo mode when something goes wrong then spending some hours of the night with Kuroo. At one point, Tsukishima became a part of their little group.

Karasuno’s team is going through many struggles and Akaashi thinks it’s quite obvious. He confirms his own theory after Hinata joins them a day after Tsukishima did. Somehow, Lev ended up in the mix, saying he’s all bruised after barely escaping from the clutches of his demon senpai Yaku.

So now there are six of them playing in the third gym in the deep hours of the evening. Although Akaashi and his team have played against both Nekoma and Karasuno during their practice matches, practicing with three other people is still something he is yet to get used to.

Still, it’s a breath of fresh air. Akaashi is so used to seeing Kuroo and Bokuto bicker and standing in between them when things get a little too intense. Having more people here to share the chaos with him is one thing he did not think he would enjoy.

“Toss me a good one, Akaashi!”

Bokuto calls out loudly for him. Akaashi doesn’t spare him a glance but he does toss to him swiftly. The ace spikes the ball with much strength and it lands precisely on the line that shapes the inner court.

Then Bokuto lands on his feet, bends his knees and raises his fists. He screams out his catchphrase— _Hey Hey Hey!_

Though Akaashi considers his high school life to be a little dull, he knows for a fact that Bokuto isn’t. In fact, he’s rather interesting.

Akaashi still remembers the first time he met Bokuto and the first time he tossed to him in Fukurodani’s gym. From then on, he already knew that the ace was going to be handful. His two years in the team proved so.

Yet here is, still running by his side, tossing and tossing to him despite the many times Akaashi had to pull Bokuto back up to his feet. He thinks it’s a curse or maybe he’s under a witch’s spell.

There’s just something about Bokuto’s brightness that draws Akaashi to him.

The practice ends and they split to freshen up and retreat to their dorms. Short greetings are exchanged between all six of them and before Akaashi can even step out of the third gym, Kuroo suddenly blocks the entrance with his body.

Akaashi doesn’t say anything and just gazes but Bokuto protests loudly behind him.

“Come on, Kuroo! What’s the hold up? I’m tired!,” Bokuto whines loudly.

“ _Ah-ah-ah_ ,” Kuroo shakes his head and wears his signature smirk. “It’s your turn to lock up, Bo.”

That brings out a long and drawn out groan from Bokuto, who starts whining even more when Kuroo raises his hand and dangles the keys in front of him teasingly.

Akaashi attempts to escape when the two start to bicker again but is stopped again by a still smirking Kuroo.

“You too, Akaashi.”

“Huh?,” Akaashi squints his eyes at him.

“Forgot already?,” Kuroo tilts his head with a mocking tone. “You and Bo drew the shortest sticks.”

Just then, Akaashi remembers what the six of them did before today’s practice. Kuroo had walked into the gym holding six twigs, saying he’d picked them up near the open fields outside, and announced that whoever got the shortest of the sticks would clean and lock up at the end of their matches.

Of course Kuroo doesn’t draw one of the short twigs and Akaashi knew that it’d be rigged but he decides not to say anything about the unfairness of this little game and draws just for the sake of moving on.

Bokuto releases a loud scream upon taking out the shortest of the sticks and the knowing smirk on Kuroo’s face doesn’t surprise Akaashi at all.

Remembering that the other short stick is still in his pocket, Akaashi sighs. “Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me, Kuroo-san.”

Kuroo cackles and tosses the keys at Bokuto, who barely catches it. “Well, good luck. See you two tomorrow.”

Then Kuroo slams the door shut and Bokuto wails loudly behind Akaashi, who turns around and eyes the volleyballs still scattered around the court. He steps forward and passes Bokuto whilst rubbing his hands together.

“Bokuto-san, the quicker we clean, the more time we’ll have in our futons.”

“Uoh!,” Bokuto perks up almost immediately. “You’re right, Akaashi!”

Akaashi watches Bokuto pick up the volleyballs from the ground with an insane speed.

“Akaashi!,” Bokuto yells, his face hidden behind the many volleyballs in his arms. “Fetch the cart! Hurry!”

As Bokuto continues to scream loudly and attempt to balance all the balls in his arms, Akaashi enters the storage closet and takes out the cart. Less than ten minutes pass before all the balls are in the cart and Akaashi is sure that he only picked up two of them.

Akaashi pushes the cart back into the storage room with Bokuto tailing him. He places it into the very back and grabs a large cloth to drape over the volleyballs. There’s a loud rumbling noise as Bokuto shuts the doors.

Just then, Bokuto suddenly speaks, his tone more stern than usual.

“Hey, ‘Kaashi. What do you plan to do after high school?”

Akaashi turns around. He sees Bokuto leaning on the doors, his buff arms crossed over his chest and both of long silver eyebrows creased together in a rare moment of somberness.

That makes Akaashi think for a while. He still has about a year and a half left for his high school days and despite his good foresight abilities when it comes to handling Bokuto, he really hasn’t thought much about his own future yet.

“I am not quite sure, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi replies simply and continues to pull the cloth to completely cover all the stacked volleyballs.

“Eh?,” Bokuto yelps a little too loudly. “I thought you had your whole life planned out, ‘Kaashi!”

_You know what to do, right? You’ve planned this much, right?_ Akaashi hears those words often and the burden of those expectations weigh heavy on his shoulders. He has always been perceived to be smarter and wiser than average, thus many of his friends and relatives assume that he has the answer to all their questions.

It’s something Bokuto assumes as well and although Akaashi knows that the ace’s motives are good, he can’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable whenever he hears those same words from him. 

But Akaashi knows that Bokutou wouldn’t really understand even if he explained it to him. So as per usual, he decides to bottle up his discomfort.

“That is not really the case,” Akaashi huffs and smoothens the cover with his palms. “I have not considered my options.”

Bokuto lets out a low grunt. “Me neither.”

That makes Akaashi squint his eyes at Bokuto, who has one eyebrow raised and is still in his phase of _pretending to be in such deep thought that he can’t make direct eye contact at the moment_.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi starts as he approaches Bokuto with careful steps. “There are many nearby colleges that would love to have a star player in their team.”

“Eh?!,” Bokuto screeches, his hand brushing over his own mouth. “Really?!”

“Yes,” Akaashi nods. “But you will have to consider distance as a factor in choosing your college. You have many options, Bokuto-san, so you can afford to be picky.”

“Those things don’t really mean much to me!,” Bokuto says with a big grin. “I don’t really know where I’ll go after high school but I do only want two things!”

“Two things?,” Akaashi says after a moment of thinking. “What exactly?”

“First, I want to keep playing volleyball!,” Bokuto yells. It’s accompanied with loud laughter. “And to do that, it doesn’t really matter where I end up!”

Akaashi hums. It’s to be expected. “And what is this other important factor?”

There’s a meaningful grin on Bokuto’s face. He raises his hand and looks like he’s about to pull some weird pose but he ends up pointing his finger forward, right at Akaashi.

“It’s you, ‘Kaashi!”

The world stops for Akaashi at that moment. He feels a sting in his chest and suddenly it’s hard to breathe. _It’s the cold, yeah that’s it_.

Akaashi keeps a straight face and points at himself hesitantly. “Me?”

“You!,” Bokuto repeats, his smile beaming. “I wouldn’t know what I’d do without you! As long as I can play volleyball and have you by my side, then I’m all set!”

Bokuto is simple-minded so Akaashi tries not to let those words get to him despite the many many implications possibly sewn into them. Still, as he watches Bokuto cheerfully reach for the mop placed in one of the large bins, he can’t help but think if he was supposed to take away something else entirely from what he said.

“Come on, ‘Kaashi!,” Bokuto screams and grabs the doorknob. “All that’s left is to sweep the floors and then we can—”

The doorknob creaks when Bokuto tries to open the door but fails. Akaashi watches blankly as Bokuto continues to wriggle the doorknob and only stops when it looks like it's about to snap cleanly in half.

Bokuto retreats. He turns on his heel, the mop still in one of his hands, and looks ahead anxiously.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto’s lips curl and he lets out a dry laugh. “I think we’re locked in.”

After the two stare at each other for a minute, Akaashi gently pushes Bokuto to the side and reaches for the doorknob. He fails to open the door as well.

So Akaashi turns back around. “Bokuto-san, didn’t Kuroo-san hand you the keys?”

“Oho, you’re right!”

Bokuto grumbles as he digs into his pockets. His expression slowly shifts and his grin turns more anxious.

“Ehe, wait,” Bokuto looks up. “I don’t have them.”

Akaashi’s eye twitches. “Huh?”

“I don’t… have them,” Bokuto turns his pockets inside out and a few coins and that short twig falls to the ground.

An exhale. “Bokuto-san, you clearly have them.”

“But I don’t—,” Bokuto pauses when he catches Akaashi’s expression. “Hey, Akaashi… you look a little mad.”

An inhale. Akaashi shakes his head and steps closer to Bokuto. 

“I’m not mad,” He says and shoves both of his hands down Bokuto’s obviously empty pockets.

_Ah_. Akaashi can only assume that Bokuto had somehow dropped his keys while they were collecting the stray volleyballs. It’s an almost impossible image to comprehend but if it’s Bokuto, even the most ridiculous of scenarios can be pulled off.

“Eep!,” Bokuto shrieks. “What are you doing?!”

“Just checking,” Akaashi pulls out his hands. “So you do not have your phone either.”

“N-No!,” Bokuto shakes his head wildly. “It’s in my gym bag! And it’s outside…”

Akaashi sighs audibly. “I left my bag outside as well.”

“So, uh,” Bokuto scratches his cheek. “We’re really stuck in here?”

“I am afraid so,” Akaashi rubs his hands together anxiously. “But I am sure Konoha-san will notice that we have not returned and will search for us with the rest of the team.”

As Bokuto stands there awkwardly, Akaashi moves to the back of the room and snatches the mop from the ace. He cleans the floor for a bit before he finds his position on the ground.

“For now, please sit down,” Akaashi bends his knees and hugs them close to his chest. “Make yourself comfortable, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto stiffens in his place for a while but he eventually trudges forward and plops himself onto the ground a few feet away from Akaashi. He squirms there, the hard ground obviously making his ass ache, and Akaashi watches himself silently through the corner of his eye.

It’s chilly in the room and Akaashi hugs himself instinctively. He can still feel Bokuto staring at him from where he’s seated.

For some reason it’s awkward, which is never the case between them most of the time. Akaashi wonders why Bokuto is so silent. Maybe it’s because they’ve never really been alone in a small and dark space like a storage closet before.

Suddenly Akaashi hears light footsteps. He looks up and something drapes over his face. It takes a while until he realizes it’s a large cloth.

Akaashi pulls the cloth down his face and sees Bokuto standing next to him. Behind him, the volleyballs in the cart are exposed.

“You look cold, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto grins. “This’ll keep you warm!”

There’s something at the warmth in Bokuto’s smile that makes Akaashi’s cheeks flare. He dismisses it to be his body trying to adjust to the chilly temperature.

Bokuto starts to walk away and in those few seconds, Akaashi’s body moves instinctively. Before he knows it, he’s gripping Bokuto’s wrists.

Of course, Akaashi panics internally, especially because of the way Bokuto stares at him questionably. _Think of an excuse, think of something damn it_.

An inhale. Akaashi regains his composure. “Bokuto-san, you will be cold as well.”

Bokuto tilts his head at him. Akaashi sighs and raises the makeshift blanket slightly while gesturing at the empty space next to him.

“Uoh!,” Bokuto yelps. He immediately dives to the spot next to Akaashi. “Thanks, ‘Kaashi!”

So Bokuto squeezes himself next to Akaashi, their shoulders touching and the blanket draped over both of their heads. They’ve never been _this_ close before, Akaashi realizes, and that fact makes his stomach twist and churn.

He wonders why they’ve never been so intimate. Bokuto is a naturally touchy person and it’s obvious in the gestures he does with the other third years of the team. When it came to Akaashi, however, it always felt like there was a thin barrier between them despite Bokuto’s many attempts at being equally as friendly.

Akaashi himself has never been fond of being touchy, even with his friends. Even so, he finds comfort in being this close to Bokuto, especially at this moment.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto says with a drawn out tone. He has a pout on his face. “I don’t think anyone is coming to get us.”

Whether it’s because of the cold or their closeness, Akaashi isn’t sure, but somehow he can’t form any words. He simply nods as a reply.

“Man, I was looking forward to my futon too!,” Bokuto groans and turns to face Akaashi with a frown. “Hey, ‘Kaashi— Eh?!”

Akaashi looks up at Bokuto, who gives him what looks like a terrified expression. His mouth is open wide and his golden eyes are round.

“What is it, Bokuto-san?”

“Are you okay?!,” Bokuto exclaims and holds both of Akaashi’s cheeks. “Your face is all red!”

Time freezes again for Akaashi, who tries to think of an excuse as to why his face is as flushed as it is. He’s always been weak to the cold, yes, that’s a possibility. Or it could be because Bokuto is so close, his hands are on his cheeks and their faces are separated only by a few inches.

_That can’t be_ , Akaashi thinks, _after all he does spend most of his time at school with Bokuto_. Although they aren’t that physically touchy with each other, they do hang out a lot. Akaashi has even been to Bokuto’s house a few times and quickly befriended both of his older sisters.

So what’s so different about right now? Akaashi can’t figure out why this situation is making him feel so different.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi takes a deep breath. He slowly pulls Bokuto’s hands off his face. “I’m fine.”

“But your cheeks are all red! And you’re trembling!,” Bokuto gasps loudly. “Akaashi! You’re freezing!”

Akaashi looks away. “I… don’t really adjust well to cold temperatures.”

“Even with a blanket?!”

Akaashi nods meekly. Then Bokuto makes a loud hum.

“Don’t worry!,” Bokuto puts on a big smile and cackles a bit. “I have a solution!”

His exclamation makes Akaashi raise an eyebrow. “Bokuto-san, wha—”

Before Akaashi can finish his sentence, Bokuto pulls him into a tight embrace.

It takes a while until Akaashi registers what exactly is happening. They’re underneath the blanket still but now Bokuto has one arm wrapped around his waist whilst his other hand ruffles his dark hair. Akaashi himself has his cheek pressed against the ace’s chest and both his palms awkwardly gripping at his stomach.

_Huh?_

“There!,” Bokuto tightens his grip around Akaashi’s waist. “My body heat will keep you warm! You’ll be okay now, ‘Kaashi!”

Akaashi groans. Now he can feel the heat in his cheeks. He buries his face into Bokuto’s chest and grumbles to himself.

Despite the many many thoughts mixing together in a confusing mixture within Akaashi’s mind, he’s able to compose himself to speak.

“Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto’s grin stretches wider. “Anything for you!”

_God_ . For the first time, Akaashi disliked how blunt Bokuto was. _How can he say all these things so casually? Can’t he see that his words are leaving him breathless?_

There have been many instances of Akaashi being left speechless because of Bokuto. He doesn’t remember every scenario but some have stuck to him. He can still clearly visualize the moment he walked into the Fukurodani gym, way before he started high school, and saw Bokuto jumping up mid-spike.

How can Akaashi forget such a sight? After all, he had never seen a star as bright as him until that day.

When Akaashi joined the team and shared a locker with them for the first time, he remembered seeing Bokuto and being amazed at how _built_ he was. The thought becomes more vivid when Akaashi realizes that he’s still leaning on the captain’s chest.

There were little gestures too. Whenever they ate out for ice cream, Bokuto would always make sure to wipe any smudges off of Akaashi’s face. When they ate grilled meat together, Bokuto would always offer to cook the food— though that most of the time led to the both of them consuming charred meat.

And now, in their current position, Bokuto gently ruffles Akaashi’s hair with his fingertips. It’s a small yet comforting gesture.

Akaashi is frustrated. He feels his stomach flip and his gut twist.

Then Bokuto starts to hum. The tune is off and Akaashi can’t recognize what he’s trying to sing but his voice is enough to soothe him.

“Akaashi?,” Bokuto says in the middle of his humming. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi replies, his face still buried in the other’s chest.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Akaashi purses his lips. “What?”

“I mean, I know you’re feeling reaallyyy cold right now but that’s what I mean!,” Bokuto talks quickly and starts to eat his own words. “But I noticed that sometimes you stare at nothing! And sometimes I call you and you can’t hear me!”

“Oh, that is because—”

“My point is!,” Bokuto cuts him off loudly. “Are you okay, Akaashi? You’ve been distracted!”

Once Bokuto’s words process in his mind, Akaashi wonders if anyone has ever asked him that. He’s not even sure if he asked himself.

The question lingers in Akaashi’s mind. It’s such a simple thing to ask and replying shouldn’t take much effort. Despite that, he actually finds difficulty in answering Bokuto.

So Akaashi moves to logic. There’s only one reason he can’t answer as easily as he’s supposed to.

“No, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto pauses. He blinks. “Eh?”

“I’m not… okay,” Akaashi sucks in a breath. “I just…”

After Akaashi pulls away from the embrace, he looks down and avoids eye contact with Bokuto. He can still feel the older’s gaze burn onto the top of his head.

Akaashi’s next words come in a small whisper. “I’m scared.”

Bokuto doesn’t say anything but he does squeeze Akaashi’s arms. It’s almost like he can hear him say it; _Keep going, I’ll listen_.

“After this camp, we’ll have the tournament,” Akaashi starts. “And I know we are a strong team and that we will make it far but… after this, you and other third years will leave and…”

There’s a moment of silence as Akaashi takes in a sharp breath. Bokuto rubs circles on his arms with his thumbs.

“Coach spoke to me. He said that next year, he’d want _me_ to take over as team captain,” Akaashi’s words shake as his lips tremble. “And by then, most of our regular members would have graduated. That means that other than Onaga, I will have to take charge of a brand new team. And I don’t— I don’t think I can do that.”

“Why not?,” Bokuto speaks, his tone soft.

“I’m not ready!,” Akaashi shouts and then he immediately clears his throat and starts to whisper again. “I’m not… I can’t do it.”

Another silence falls over the two as Akaashi grits his teeth and looks down. He feels the tears start to tingle his eyes so he shuts them in an attempt to dry them out.

Bokuto slowly slips his hands off of Akaashi’s arms. 

_Now he’s done it_.

“I apologize for raising my voice, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says with a small sniffle. “I did not mean to—”

Akaashi stops when he feels Bokuto gently grab both of his hands. He rubs his thumbs again, this time drawing circles on knuckles.

“Keiji,” Bokuto says, his head tilting to the side. He gazes at Akaashi thoughtfully. “It’s okay.”

_Keiji?_ Akaashi’s mind short circuits for a split second. Despite their long years of friendship, Bokuto has never called him by his first name.

Although Akaashi doesn’t say anything, he does give Bokuto a questionable expression.

“It’s okay to feel all nervous!,” Bokuto grins. “You know, when I was first chosen as captain, I was scared too! I mean, me?! A captain?!”

Bokuto throws his head back and cackles loudly. The sight of him nearly makes Akaashi burst into laughter.

“It was ridiculous! That’s the word right?,” Bokuto asks suddenly with a pout.

“Yes, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi replies.

“Anyways! I had no idea what I was supposed to do!,” Bokuto exclaims, his expression oddly optimistic. “Honestly, there’s no way anyone would automatically figure out how to be a captain! You just know after a while!”

Akaashi hums. “Ah. Is that so?”

“Yep! But Akaashi!,” Bokuto squeezes both of Akaashi’s hands and raises them until they’re hovering in front of their faces. “You don’t have to worry so much!”

The exclamation makes Akaashi squint his eyes at the ace. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is!,” Bokuto leans forward and Akaashi instinctively scoots away. “You’re Akaashi!”

“Huh?,” Akaashi scrunches his eyebrows.

“You’re Akaashi!,” Bokuto repeats, this time there’s a sparkle in his eyes. “And you can do anything!”

“I don’t—”

“Listen to me, Akaashi!,” Bokuto pouts. “You’re really really smart! You know lots of things I don’t! And you don’t show it much on your face but you care for everyone too!”

At this point, Akaashi is speechless. He isn’t used to being complimented so hearing all of this at once is overwhelming.

“And you know what to do whenever we’re in a slump!,” Bokuto continues, his voice growing louder with each statement. “And you chose to be my best friend! And I’m really happy that you did, Akaashi!”

As Akaashi struggles to process everything, Bokuto calms down suddenly and puts on a small smile.

“You know Keiji,” Bokuto sighs. His grip on Akaashi’s hands tightens. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet? Ever since you started high school here, you’ve always stayed by my side.”

Again, Akaashi thinks back to the day he first saw Bokuto. Just envisioning the scene alone makes him breathless.

“When I was in middle school, my teammates would always say that I was bringing down the team,” Bokuto continues, his voice small. “And I ended up graduating without too many friends.”

Akaashi wonders what it was like for Bokuto before they met. He can’t help but feel bad for the ace.

“But hey! Washio, Konoha, Komi and Sarukui all accepted me and I was happy!,” Bokuto grins again. “And then you came in...”

The tone in Bokuto’s voice confuses Akaashi. Him entering his life— _was it a good thing or a bad thing for him?_

“Keiji,” Bokuto takes a deep breath. “You’re just— Man! I can’t even put it into words!”

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi calls out and his words fade into the air.

“I couldn’t believe someone like _you_ wanted to be around someone like _me_!,” Bokuto points at Akaashi then at himself. 

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi repeats but it comes out as a whisper.

“Someone as amazing as you! I couldn’t believe it! I kept telling myself that—”

Bokuto is cut off when Akaashi grips him by the collar. Their lips meet suddenly and sparks explode in the darkness around them.

It’s short but sweet. Akaashi pulls away, his fists wrinkling the collar of Bokuto’s shirt. His cheeks flush as he looks up to meet the captain’s golden eyes.

“You talk too much,” Akaashi says quickly before he avoids eye contact again.

They don’t say anything for a while. Akaashi hugs his knees to his chest and folds his elbows over them. He buries his face in his arms and knows without a doubt that his cheeks are flushed enough to resemble ripe tomatoes.

And Bokuto is still staring at him and the ambiguity of his expression makes Akaashi’s stomach churn. His one fear, the most dreaded outcome he had thought of... he _prays_ that doing this wasn’t a mistake.

After Akaashi tells himself to actually face Bokuto and speak to him because just sitting here awkwardly after that isn’t going to help either of them. So he gathers his courage and turns around.

It’s still dark inside the closet, so much so that Akaashi can barely see the person in front of him. Still, he wonders if Bokuto’s cheeks really are as red as he thinks they are.

Before he can even speak, Bokuto turns away and covers his own mouth with his hand.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi lets out a loud sigh. “I apologize for that. I was not… I was not thinking straight.”

Instead of answering, Bokuto just continues to stare away from him. That makes Akaashi’s gut twist anxiously.

It’s not like Akaashi planned to kiss Bokuto the way he did, in fact it was a thought he never pondered on until now. He never considered the possibility of ending up in this situation, moreso actually being able to kiss him.

So now that he’s actually done it, Akaashi doesn’t know how he can make it through the night.

He was never a person who was open with his feelings and Akaashi knows that even someone as simple-minded as Bokuto would know. Even so, his lack of words doesn’t sit well with him.

There’s a reason why Akaashi ignored the blossoming affection he had for Bokuto. Other than him doubting whether it was just his admiration for his best friend and senior, he was also afraid.

Because Akaashi knows that acknowledging these emotions could lead to many outcomes, one of them being a ruined friendship with Bokuto.

And to Akaashi, his friendship with Bokuto is more precious than every other star in the sky. He would do anything to keep it shine.

“Akaashi.”

Bokuto speaks finally, after a seemingly hour long silence. His hand is still over his own mouth and he’s still looking ahead. It gives Akaashi a clear view of his side profile.

“You know,” Bokuto slides his hand down his face to finally reveal his mouth. “That was my first kiss.”

Akaashi hears the world crack around him and feels the debris fall onto his shoulders. His chest aches, he wants to scream. Instead he sucks in a breath.

“I’m so sorry,” Akaashi buries his face in his hands.

“Huh?,” Bokuto blinks as he turns to face Akaashi. “Wait, ‘Kaashi! That’s not what I meant! I mean I don’t mind that you took my first kiss!”

That makes Akaashi peak between his fingers. He sees Bokuto flailing his arms around and his cheeks are tinted in a bright red shade.

“You don’t mind?,” Akaashi asks slowly

“Eh?! Of course I do! I mean I don’t!,” Bokuto starts screaming. Suddenly he’s pouting. “But… this isn’t what I had in mind…”

“Ah,” Akaashi exhales. “Is that so?”

“D-Don’t look at me like that!,” Bokuto whines as he puts on a familiar expression, eyes shut and lips curled. “What I’m trying to say is!”

In a sudden shift of emotion that Akaashi is already so used to, Bokuto suddenly calms down and slouches. He scratches at his cheek and looks away again.

“My sisters told me that people only kiss who they like,” Bokuto speaks slowly. He makes eye contact with Akaashi, who is stunned by the serious look in his eyes. “So does that mean you like me?”

Akaashi is speechless. _How is he supposed to answer that?_

“Actually—”

“You don’t have to answer that, ‘Kaashi!,” Bokuto leans in and their foreheads are almost touching. “Because I liked you first! I’ve liked you since forever!”

“Huh?,” Akaashi croaks.

“And I wanted to ask you out!,” Bokut continues to ramble. “If you said yes, I would have taken you to the park! Or the movies! And then we’d go eat ice cream where we always did and then I’d kiss you there!”

“What? Bokuto-san—”

“It was the perfect plan!,” Bokuto wails. “So perfect!”

As Bokuto continues to whine where he sits, Akaashi just tries to register everything he just heard. It all boils down to one thought that plays over and over again in his head— _Bokuto-san likes me? Bokuto-san? Likes me?_

Akaashi finds himself sinking in his own thoughts again but this time they’re too much of a mess and he can’t even decipher what’s going through his head. He feels his warm cheeks against his cold arms as he gazes at Bokuto. 

Even in the darkness within the storage closet, he can still see the stars shine on Bokuto’s cheeks.

“Yes,” Akaashi says suddenly.

Bokuto turns around, his golden eyes meeting Akaashi’s gunmetal blue ones, and he tilts his head at him questionably.

“If you had asked me out,” Akaashi continues. “I would have said yes.”

A few seconds before Bokuto puts on a frown. “Does that mean you’ll reject me now?”

“What?,” Akaashi blinks before he connects the dots. “No, Bokuto-san. That’s not what I meant.”

Bokuto stares at Akaashi again but this time his mouth drops open. His eyes sparkle and he immediately grabs the setter’s hands. He squeezes them tightly and holds them close to his face.

“Akaashi!,” Bokuto shrieks with a big grin spread across his cheeks. “Does that mean you like me too?!”

His cheeks burn again. He wonders why Bokuto isn’t reacting to how flustered he is. Maybe he wasn’t aware of the effect he had on the younger.

“Maybe,” Akaashi looks down at his hands, his fingers still rubbing together, and Bokuto’s thumbs are pressed at the corner of his wrists.

“Really?,” Bokuto says in wonder, his eyes twinkling like gems.

“Really,” Akaashi replies with a smile.

Instead of the large smile Akaashi was prepared to see, Bokuto’s lips turned into a squiggly line instead. He just sits there, staring at him, his eyes shining and glossy with incoming tears.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto grins. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For liking me too.”

His words shock Akaashi, who just observes the way Bokuto grins. It’s obvious that the captain’s close to tears but he’s holding it back by stretching his cheeks as much as possible with his smile.

Akaashi laughs lightly. “Bokuto-san, you will give yourself face cramps.”

That makes Bokuto stop smiling immediately. But he still looks like he’s holding himself back from sobbing. “I’m just so happy, ‘Kaashi! I didn’t think you’d like me!”

“Why wouldn’t I?,” Akaashi raises an eyebrow. 

“Because I’m a handful!,” Bokuto wails loudly.

Akaashi chuckles. He gently slips his hands off of Bokuto’s hold and slowly cups the captain’s face in his palms.

“Well, I have two hands,” Akaashi smiles at him. “I can manage.”

The statement seemingly makes Bokuto explode. Suddenly his entire face turns red and he's pushing Akaashi away.

“A-Akaashi!,” Bokuto stutters. “Don’t say things like that so casually!”

Akaashi laughs out loud at the flustered expression on Bokuto’s face. 

It takes a while but Bokuto eventually calms down. He sits in front of Akaashi, their faces still inches apart, and the blanket draped over both of their heads. It’s deep in the night and the chilly air is harsh.

“Hey, Akaashi,” Bokuto speaks, his breath turning to mist. “This means… I like you and you like me…”

Not knowing how to respond to that, Akaashi nods at him.

“So,” Bokuto pauses. “If I told you I wanted to kiss you the way I planned, would you let me?”

Akaashi freezes and then Bokuto’s words from a few minutes prior echo in his mind; _Don’t say things like that so casually!_

They’re staring at each other. Bokuto’s golden eyes look deep into Akaashi’ gunmetal blue orbs. 

Akaashi himself doesn’t respond with words, instead he leans in until his breath tingles Bokuto’s lips. He reaches up to pull at the captain’s collar, tugging it slightly, beckoning him.

It’s enough to relay the message to Bokuto, who runs his hand up Akaashi’s cheek. He tucks a strand of dark hair behind his ear before he lifts his chin up.

Their lips meet for the second time today but the sparks around them are brighter than ever. Akaashi closes his eyes and savors the moment. Bokuto kisses him gently with his lips brushing over his softly and slowly.

It’s a lot different from the quick peck on the lips Akaashi gave Bokuto just a few moments ago. Time passes fleetingly and they both pull away.

Silence comes. They stare again. Akaashi looks deep into Bokuto’s golden eyes and sees the stars dance in them. 

Suddenly they’re kissing again but this time it’s more passionate. Akaashi yelps when Bokuto smacks his lips on him roughly and he almost loses his balance and falls on the ground.

But Bokuto uses his arms to support Akaashi’s waist so he doesn’t fall. Akaashi himself has one hand on Bokuto’s nape and another running through his two toned hair.

It’s a sensation Akaashi didn’t think he’d ever perceive in his lifetime. He feels himself falling deeper and deeper in his own emotions and all he can think of is this moment, with Bokuto, them two. Never have they been this close, this intimate.

Their movements are in sync, almost as if they are one. Akaashi is floating. At that moment, his mind finally conjures another thought, one that repeats on a loop in his head.

_I love him. I love him. I love him_.

Bokuto pulls away first and Akaashi finds himself chasing his lips. They both stare at each other and catch their breaths.

Neither of them say anything and the silence is oddly comforting. Bokuto brushes his thumb across the redness of Akaashi’s cheek and then touches the tip of his equally flushed ear.

“You’re blushing, Keiji,” Bokuto says with a big smile.

“Shut up,” Akaashi whispers.

That makes Bokuto let out a hearty laugh. He rustles Akaashi’s hair endearingly. “You’re so cute.”

Akaashi huffs. “I’m sorry, Bokuto-san. I ruined your plans.”

“Eh?,” Bokuto blinks. “Don’t worry, Akaashi! It’s fine! That was a great second kiss!”

“Second kiss?,” Akaashi laughs.

“Yep!,” Bokuto smiles widely. His cheeks are still flushed because of their intense kiss. “Besides, things like first kisses aren’t really that important to me!”

Suddenly Bokuto cups both of Akaashi’s cheeks. He leans forward and their foreheads touch.

“I just want to keep kissing you,” Bokuto speaks with a low voice. “Over and over and over again until you’ve lost count, Keiji.”

Akaashi is flustered for a moment but he’s quickly consumed by a newfound confidence. He smiles at Bokuto, who is obviously taken aback by his expression.

“What’s stopping you then?,” Akaashi looks up through his eyelashes. “Bokuto-san?”

Completely contrasting Akaashi’s expectations, Bokuto smiles again. He screams and his eyes are sparkling with a childlike wonder.

“Does this mean we’re dating now?!,” Bokuto asks excitedly.

Once Akaashi realizes what Bokuto’s train of thoughts were, he can’t help but smile and let out a little laugh.

“I guess so,” Akaashi shrugs playfully.

“Yes! Yes!,” Bokuto squeezes Akaashi in a tight hug. “I can’t wait to tell everyone!”

It’s a thought that never dawned on Akaashi until this moment. He’s sure that all his friends are open to the fact and really, that’s not his worry at all. Instead, he imagines Bokuto bombarding everyone in the camp with his boastful screams.

Akaashi will have to deal with a lot of questions tomorrow but he doesn’t really mind.

“Me too, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi nuzzles his face into Bokuto’s chest. “Me too.”

  
  
  
  
After dozing off with Bokuto, more precisely on top of him, Akaashi wakes to the sound of the storage closet doors rattling open. He rises from the and untangles himself from the blanket and Bokuto’s limbs and sees a panicking Konoha screaming at the top of his lungs.

Bokuto wakes up thanks to his screaming and both him and Akaashi are pulled out of the closet. They’re both given individual blankets and freshly brewed cups of hot tea.

The team surrounds them and immediately bombards them with questions. Akaashi just wants to drink his tea in peace.

Thankfully the coach tells them to give the two of them some space and so they disperse and mumble to themselves from afar; although Akaashi can still see the rest of his team give him and the captain some suspicious glances.

Akaashi glances at Bokuto, who is sitting right next to him. Eventually the ace catches the setter’s gaze and winks at him.

That puts a smile on Akaashi’s face.

“Oi, oi, oi.”

A familiar sings and walks forward. Akaashi looks up and sees Kuroo smirking at them with both hands in his pockets.

Kuroo bends down slightly. He eventually pulls one of his hands out of his pocket to reveal a familiar set of keys.

“So,” Kuroo continues to smirk and spins the key ring around his finger. “Bo dropped the keys, huh?”

“I didn’t mean to!,” Bokuto whines and almost spills his tea.

“Bokuto-san, it’s okay,” Akaashi whispers at him.

Suddenly Kuroo lets out a laugh. He tosses the keys at Bokuto, who catches it with ease.

“Looks like my plan worked,” Kuroo cackles as he squats to both of their eye levels. “You two look closer than ever.”

Akaashi comes to a realization. Since Bokuto is sitting right next to him, he looks down and sees that their fingers are intertwined. He finds it odd that he didn’t even feel their hands lock together but seeing Bokuto rub his thumb over his knuckles makes him smile.

It looks like Kuroo is about to say something in a mocking tone due to how hooded his eyes are but he stops when a figure behind him softly punches the top of his head with a fist.

“Kuroo,” Kenma says as he comes into view, his voice shrill and soft as usual. “Don’t bother them too much.”

“Eh, Kenma!,” Kuroo whines and rubs the top of his head. “Aren’t you glad that my plan worked out too?!”

Kenma doesn’t say anything, instead he gestures at Akaashi with his fingers. “Can we talk?”

Although confused, Akaashi nods at him. He pats Bokuto’s hand before he slips it out of his grip and walks towards Kenma, who has his team jacket on.

They walk a bit until they’re standing at the far right side of the gym, away from anybody else. Akaashi sits back on the ground and leans on the wall, giving him a view of Bokuto, who now has Kuroo sitting where he was previously. He curls the blanket over himself and brings the hot tea close to his face.

Kenma sits next to him with crossed legs. “You told him.”

Akaashi blows at the mist of his tea. “Told him what?”

“How you felt,” Kenma gazes at the ground. He wiggles his toes.

After Akaashi sips his tea, he exhales loudly. “Was it that obvious?”

“Well,” Kenma brings his knees to his chest. “I kind of knew. Kuroo caught on a bit later but it was obvious to us that you two had a bit of tension.”

“Ah,” Akaashi says. “Is that so?”

Kenma nods. “Kuroo wanted to set you two up and came up with his so-called third gym plan. I didn’t ask him but I guess…”

Grunting, Akaashi glances at Kuroo. He’s cackling loudly next to Bokuto and slapping him on the back.

“I hope it didn’t ruin anything,” Kenma continues to whisper. “I told Kuroo to leave it to the both of you to start things… but he wouldn’t listen.”

That makes Akaashi think back to everything that happened within the closet. He sinks into the blanket.

“It’s alright,” Akaashi places the empty cup of tea on the ground next to his feet. “It worked out pretty well.”

Akaashi feels Kenma’s gaze on him as he stares.

Before either of them can say anything, Bokuto suddenly stands up and screams loudly.

“That’s right, Ku-bro!,” Bokuto yells loudly. “Me and ‘Kaashi are dating now!”

Thanks to Bokuto’s absurdly loud voice, practically everyone in the gym hears his announcement. The other members of Fukurodani yell and sprint towards their captain, who is cackling proudly.

Kuroo is yelling as well. “It’s about time! Congrats, bro!”

Akaashi laughs at the way Bokuto boasts and shakes his head. Beside him, Kenma hums.

“Oh,” Kenma is still whispering. “Congrats, Keiji.”

“Thanks,” Akaashi grunts as he drops the blanket and stands. “You should talk to him too.”

“Hm?,” Kenma looks up at him with a frown. “Who?”

“Like Bokuto-san, Kuroo-san will also leave after the tournament,” Akaashi rubs his hands and flashes a smile at Kenma. “It is best you speak to him before then.”

As Akaashi jogs to his team, Kenma looks on silently. Bokuto swings an arm over a blushing Akaashi’s shoulders and boasts their newly established relationship to the rest of his team.

Kenma glances at Kuroo, who is still congratulating Bokuto. He’s laughing loudly and saying something about how everything worked out thanks to him.

“Talk to Kuroo?,” Kenma mumbles to himself and buries his face in his knees. “Why should I?”

A few minutes of pondering pass before Kenma sighs.

“It’s not like… it would change anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! next work of the series features our favortie cat duo!


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